Lost and Found
by Petalouda85
Summary: The Queens of Darkness have been defeated and the Dark One has been permanently banished from Storybrooke. For the first time in a long time, it seems that Storybrooke will finally receive a moment of peace and a sense of normalcy but the appearance of a new face and the reappearance of a familiar one comes with the promise of more adventure and more danger.
1. Chapter 1

**New story and I'm excited to see what you guys will think of it. It's pretty much Season 5**

**This fic is the result of my frustration towards the bad characterization of Hans and his brothers in Season 4. I know he's a bit of a douchbag in the movie but the series overdid it. In the movie, there are at least some good qualities to him. In the series, there were none, besides his drop-dead gorgeous face.**

**Regarding updates, I will say they will be infrequent because I'm working on another fiction. I'm also a university student and I have a part-time job. But I'll try to update as often as I can.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter 1**

Emma could hardly believe that already a year had passed since Elsa returned to Arendelle to reclaim her throne from Hans. So much had happened in Storybrooke since that day that she simply lost track of the days. Elsa had crossed her mind in more recent days along with so many questions? What was she doing? Did she defeat Hans? Had she reclaimed her throne? Did she fall in love or get married like her sister? Emma did worry for a brief moment about Elsa's powers but that worry was gone quickly with the assurance that Elsa had complete control of her powers now. Regardless, Emma couldn't help but worry sometimes.

The tiny splat of a raindrop on the front window took Emma's mind away from her friend. As the woman turned her attention to it, another drop fell, quickly followed by another and another and another until the rain storm burst free from the clouds and drenched the yellow bug.

"Weird." She mumbled as she flicked the lever for the wipers up. The body of her teenage son moved in the passenger seat and eventually turned to look at her.

"What?" Henry asked in a sleep drunk tone. Emma didn't return his gaze as she kept herself focused on the dark road, squinting her eyes slightly in an attempt to see better through the blur of rain.

"It's nothing, kid." She replied, "I just recalled the forecast for tonight being clear skies."

"Oh." Was all the boy said, shuffling once more so he sank even further into the chair. The rain became even heavier. Emma turned the lever up to its highest point but she still had trouble seeing the road properly, prompting her to slow the car down more. They turned around a corner when Henry suddenly screamed.

"STOP!" He hollered. Emma slammed on the brakes, the car skidding on the wet road. She turned the wheel sharply to the left when she noticed something odd on the road and they came to a jumpy halt several meters after. Emma couldn't even catch her breath as Henry snatched the flashlight she kept in the glove compartment and jumped out into the rain.

"Hey! Kid!" She called out after him. She jumped out of the car and followed him. "What are you doing?" She demanded but she stopped when she saw what had caused him to scream. What she thought had been a log or some animal late out at night turned out to be a person!

She crouched down beside Henry, examining the man. She had never seen him before which likely meant that he was not from Storybrooke. This immediately sent warning sirens through her head but that quickly faded when she saw that he was injured, very badly. He sported a large gash on his forehead along with a gaping injury in his stomach, one she could see was still bleeding quite heavily. She instantly pressed her fingers into his neck, feeling a flicker of relief when she felt a weak pulse.

"Henry, give me a hand!" Emma hollered over the rain and the crash of thunder while she grabbed the strange man by his arms. Meanwhile, Henry had stuffed the flashlight awkwardly into his pocket and went to grab him by his legs.

Slowly, they managed to drag him to the bug and lay him down on the back row. In her hurry to cover his injury, Emma didn't even spot how strangely dressed he was, in a gray coat that almost looked like a cloak with iron gauntlets encased with gold over the sleeves. Once the injury was covered with the spare blanket, Emma raced back into the driver's seat and raced towards the hospital, regardless of the potential danger.

The rain had led up the slightest by the time they reached the hospital but it was still enough to drench someone in seconds; not that it mattered much to Emma and Henry as they were already soaked to the bone. The bug had barely come to a stop before Henry dashed out to warn the staff. Soon after, Emma went to the man and slung his arm over her shoulder to drag him into the building. She wasn't even halfway there when Dr. Whale and several nurses came running out to help.

"What happened?" Whale asked as he ushered Emma in.

"No idea. I found him like that lying on the middle of the road." Emma answered after the doctor had given some orders. She watched as the nurses brought the man to the end of the hall and then take a right. "Have you seen him before?" Whale looked in the direction in which the nurses had disappeared before shaking his head.

"No."

"This better not be another Greg and Tamara case." She mumbled, crossing her arms.

"Your thoughts are mine. Excuse me." And he walked off in the direction of the nurses. With a sigh, Emma plunked herself down on a nearby seat, not caring that she was soaking the chair. The man held a strong presence in her mind. Now that she had an opportunity to think, she realized that her fear of another case of the outside world coming to Storybrooke had been fruitless; the road she had taken had no connection to the road near the town line and they had yet to find a way to rid the border of Ingrid's spell. Rumpelstiltskin had managed to cross it but they had yet to figure out how he had done it.

"Any idea who he was?" She tore her gaze away from the floor to Henry as he took the seat beside her.

"Not a clue but I think it's safe to conclude that he didn't come from outside of Storybrooke." She examined the boy from head to toe and tapped his shoulder, "Come on, I'll drive you home." She stood up and walked to the door,

"What about you?" Henry asked as he ran to catch up.

"I'm coming back here. Even if he's not from the outside, it's my job to keep Storybrooke safe."

"He didn't seem that dangerous." He deadpanned.

"Well, looks can be deceiving. Get in." She slid down into the seat and started the car. Once Henry was dropped off safely in front of the apartment building, Emma promptly returned to the hospital. The rain had long since stopped, leaving the road shiny and littered with dozens of puddles. The tiny clock on the dash board indicated that it was nearly ten o'clock. Emma let out a yawn and returned her gaze to the road. In the distance, she saw someone walking on the road. She didn't think much of it first, thinking it was some straggler who probably had a little too much to drink and was having a hard time finding their way back to their home. But as the range of the headlights illuminated the person, Emma noticed she looked as though she had stepped through a time machine that had brought her from the middle ages. The skirt of her dress was a deep blue and decorated with intricate rosemaling that was stained by dried splotches of blood. The bodice was pure black and the sleeves and the fabric covering her throat and chest was light blue. Emma slammed on the brakes when the light revealed the individual's face. Her mouth agape, Emma stepped out, greeting the individual's gaze. In her shock, she only managed to utter one word past the tight feeling in her throat.

"Elsa?"

* * *

><p><span><strong>Arendelle<strong>

"Arendelle." The Queen sighed as she inhaled the familiar smell of the pine forests that decorated the mountains surrounding the fjord and the city. The smile on her face was bright, though it hid a twinge of sadness from the farewell she just said. If she had been completely honest with herself, she would miss Storybrooke. Yes, it was very strange and it nothing that Arendelle had offered but it had its charm. Plus, it was where she found a dear friend and learned to finally control her magic.

Elsa looked over her shoulder but saw no door behind her, just Kristoff. She became worried when she noticed that Anna was not there but no sooner had she noticed when Anna appeared out of nowhere.

"Arendelle." The Princess piped, "Now let's go save it!" She was about to run off when Elsa stopped her.

"Not yet." She said, taking her sister's arm, "We first need to figure out what has happened since you were gone." Anna sighed but she nodded.

"Right."

"And how are you proposing we do that?" Kristoff asked, joining Anna's side, "We're all easy to recognize and Hans no doubt has told everyone we're gone."

Elsa frowned in deep thought because Kristoff was right. Hans would've said and done anything to secure and legitimize his claim to the Arendelle throne though, he would never admit that he tried to kill Kristoff and Anna; that would only make him seem more like a monster.

"Pabbie." Was what Elsa answered after he thoughts

"Then let's go." Anna said, already starting to walk in the direction of the Valley, "The sooner we find out what has happened since we left, the sooner we can defeat Hans." The other two watched for a moment but Kristoff was the only one that eventually moved for Elsa's eyes were glued on the palace far below and in the great distance. Her palace, her home, inhabited by a usurper. She would make him pay for what he did but she had already decided she wouldn't kill him. If she killed him, she would be no better than he was. Monsters take lives without hesitance and she wasn't a monster.

"Elsa?" Kristoff called. The Queen turned her gaze to the man.

"I'm coming." She replied, sparing one final glance at the palace before joining the trip to the Valley.

**Review, favorite, follow.**


	2. Chapter 2

**So I have two midterms tomorrow (Feb 3) so I updated to ease my anxieties for a moment.**

**I feel that Anna might be OOC for this chapter but come on, you'd be angry beyond measure to if your former love interest tried to kill you twice and took over your kingdom (and hurt the most important people in your life)**

**Anyway, enjoy.**

**Chapter 2**

"Emma?" Elsa gasped as she saw her friend step out of her car and stare at her. Overjoyed at the sight of her friend's face, Elsa sprinted to Emma and embraced her tightly, barely noticing the hesitant return of the embrace.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Emma demanded. Of course she was happy to see Elsa but, considering the circumstances that Elsa left Storybrooke and the difficulty surrounding the traveling between realms, she was shocked too. "You're supposed to be in Arendelle!"

"I was!" The Queen exclaimed, ending the hug but holding tightly to Emma's arms, "I confronted Hans but I don't remember anything after that!"

As the woman kept prattling about the fact she couldn't remember anything, a frown appeared on Emma's face when she noticed something different about Elsa. Upon inspection, Emma saw she had wrinkles and her face seemed a little fuller. It was as if Elsa had aged 20 years in the span of approximately 365 days!

"What is it?" Elsa asked, noticing Emma's absentminded gaze.

"Oh, uh... nothing." She stammered, "It's just that you look 20 years older."

"What?" Elsa let go of Emma's arms to feel her face as if that would give her a clue as to how she looked now.

"You must've been hit by some kind of aging spell or something." Emma tried as a possible reason for Elsa's sudden age jump. A buzz in her pocket distracted the Sheriff. She reached for the rectangular box, the screen lit with a text from Whale asking her to come to the hospital.

"Elsa, come on." Emma said as she stuffed the phone back into her pocket and paced back to the car. She didn't really need Elsa to come with her but with the sudden reappearance of the Queen and the appearance of a complete stranger, Emma's gut told her the two were connected somehow. Trusting her friend, Elsa plopped down in the passenger seat. Emma sped back to the hospital and sloppily parked the bug in a vacant spot. In sync, the two women went in and were immediately greeted by Whale. The Doctor was surprised to see the Ice Queen but didn't push the matter; he simply wanted to report that the stranger would live. His injury on his stomach was only a flesh wound but he had bled quite heavily. Apparently, he was also injured on his arm, the injury deep and another major point of blood loss for the man. The injury on his head wasn't as severe but it was bound to have had some damage on his memories.

"Any clue to who he is?" Emma pressed once he was done his procedures.

"No." He answered bluntly, "The only clue we have so far is this." He reached to the desk behind him and picked up one of the iron gauntlets the stranger had been wearing. Emma inspected it, paying specific attention to the gold embellishments. It seemed like random decorative patterns with crocuses.

"Arendelle crocuses." Elsa gasped, her fingers hesitantly but gently caressing the gold flowers, "This is part of my father's armor." She looked at the Doctor, "Where is this man?" She asked. Whoever this man was was from Arendelle. He had to be. Plus he must've known what she couldn't remember because this man had to have been close to her; she wouldn't just let anyone wear her father's armor. To answer her question, Whale pointed down the hall,

"Last door on your right." He answered. Once the last syllable left the man's mouth, Elsa sped off to the room, her heart pounding and a smile on her face. Soon this man could enlighten her on the empty void left behind by the lack of memories and then they could find the door that led back to Arendelle. She almost slammed the door open from joy but she gasped in horror at the sight of who was lying on the bed. Flawless auburn hair that was only tainted by several tiny strands of grey hair and that ungodly pointed nose was what she saw; Elsa found herself staring into the charmingly evil green eyes of Prince Hans of the Southern Isles.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Arendelle<strong>

They had placed tables, chairs and whatever other furniture they could find to barricade the door form the returning rampage that as Elsa and Anna Losnedahl. Hans was completely baffled; he had locked Anna in a trunk with her fiancee and had thrown them to the deepest depths of Poseidon's Boneyard. There was no possibility that she could've survived that ordeal; Hans himself didn't believe it until he actually spotted her from a window. How she had survived was beyond his mind to comprehend. All he could assume was that by some miracle she had survived, had released her sister from the urn and came back to reclaim the throne.

"Hans!" Viktor hollered while the "King" placed the final chair on the pile blocking the door. Hans silently gulped and turned to face his brothers, the three staring back with the same unloving and disgusted glare they had given him since he was 7. The three stood in a single line, their hands tucked under their belt or grazing over the hilt of their blade. Franz, the blonde and 10th brother, stepped forward.

"It seems that after all your meager attempts, Hans," The blonde seethed, drawing his sword and pointing it to his little brother, "You're still the failure we all knew you were." The shiny blade with the gold hilt lowered as the prince looked to his other three brothers. "Let's go." The three men headed for the last escape when a voice called out to them.

"You can't go!" Hans hollered, "I command you to stay!" Jurgen smirked at the man,

"I don't have to listen to you." He chuckled, casually taking slow steps towards Hans, "It was agreed that the deal would end once you claimed Arendelle as your own." He looked around the room, "It's yours now which means we are relieved of our obligations to you." He pulled forth his sword, "Which also means," And wacked the hilt hard on Hans' head, knocking him unconscious. The prince chuckled at the heap that was his brother, "I can finally do that." He stuck his sword back into the scabbard as he joined his brothers and exited the room, locking the door behind them while jeering about the failures of the youngest brother.

When he woke up a few minutes later, Hans found himself locked in the throne room with his enemy battering against the door and his brothers leaving through the other. He had no way out. He stood up, sword in hand and turned in constant circles, his eyes darting to every corner to find an escape, any escape. His eye turned to his sword; he only had two options left: face Elsa and Anna and be transported back to the Southern Isles to face certain death or kill himself and save himself all the shame and humiliation. He pointed the sword at himself and was ready to plunge it into his belly when he heard a bang and felt a cold blast knocking his weapon from his hand. Upon turning to the door, his eyes fell on Elsa, her hand stretched out to him, and her sister, who stared at him with an expression that could very well be the definition of anger. She paced to him.

"You're not exactly on the throne but this will have to do." He only saw Anna wheel back her fist before he fell onto the floor once more with an excruciating pain in his eye. He actually let out a holler of pain. He heard Elsa's voice but was unable to hear what she said. He didn't need to guess for long as he was grabbed roughly by his arms and pulled to his feet. He stared straight at Anna.

"Where are you brothers, Hans?" She jeered in a tone that actually surprised him; Anna was not known to be particularly cruel. Well, except to him but with good reason: he left her to die after all. Twice. A smirk appeared on her face when he didn't answer her, "Maybe you should ask yourself if there is someone out there who loved you." Before he could retort, he was dragged away. Part of him was grateful for that because what Anna said didn't take long for him to find an answer to.

Nobody loved him. Not his brothers, his father or his step-mother.

There was absolutely nobody out there who loved him.

**Review, favorite, follow.**


	3. Chapter 3

**This chapter is probably my favorite one so far, especially the Arendelle section.**

**Enjoy.**

**Chapter 3**

"You!" The Ice Queen seethed at the man lying helplessly on the bed. Hans smirked at her.

"Hello, Your Majesty." He mocked.

"What are you doing here?" Elsa demanded. Hans chuckled lowly and shifted in his bed.

"I could ask you the same." He jeered, "Why aren't you sitting in your precious throne, ruling over your precious Arendelle?" Elsa frowned at the man and held up her hand in a threatening manner.

"You best watch your tongue, Westerguard, lest you want to have it frozen." It was enough to shut him up but his stupid smirk remained ever present on his handsome face.

"Elsa, what is it?" The Queen looked over her shoulder at her friend. she stepped away from the Prince and spoke softly,

"That is Hans." She said, eyeing the man suspiciously despite the fact that he was in no condition to anyone harm. Emma stared at him for a moment, receiving a smirk in reply, before she looked to Elsa.

"That's the creep that took your throne? What's he doing here?"

"I don't know." She placed a hand on Emma's shoulder and leaned even closer as if she was scared that Hans would hear her, "He must be up to something. Why else would he drag me here?"

"You're sure that he's the one to blame for your coming here and your memory loss?" When Elsa nodded, Emma shook her head, "That's not possible. Henry and I found him wounded on the side of the road, unconscious. There's no way."

"He's an intelligent man." Elsa warned, "He fooled my entire kingdom into thinking I was a monster and that my sister was dead."

"Well," Emma replied, fixing her leather jacket, "He won't fool me so easily." Not even waiting for Elsa to retort, Emma stepped into the room and went to the foot of Hans' bed. The man looked up at her and smiled.

"Well, well, well." He cooed, "Did her Majesty send you in to talk to the shame of the Southern Isles? Ha!" He laughed, "How pathetic she won't do the smooth talking herself."

"There'll be no smooth talking with me." Emma replied bluntly, "Care to explain what you're doing here?" Hans raised his eyebrows,

"You think that I have anything to do with her coming here?" HE pointed to the Queen, who stood by the door and eyed him suspiciously. Emma looked at Elsa,

"You're a very perceptive man." Emma commented.

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment. Now," She placed her hands on the foot, "Answer my question. What are you doing here?" Hans' face betrayed no emotion, making Elsa feel concerned and Emma uncertain. If she couldn't see any emotion, how could Emma tell if he was lying or telling the truth?

"I can assure you, my lady," Hans began, his voice oozing with the charming tone that had fooled Arendelle, "That I do not know why I'm here or how I came to be here. All I can tell you for certain is that, if I were to go anywhere, I certainly wouldn't take her with me." He pointed to Elsa once more. The Queen fumed from the man's words but instead of blasting him with her magic, which was what she wanted to do, she left the room.

Emma rolled her eyes and pointed a warning finger at the Prince, who was smirking,

"I'm not done with you yet." She threatened, hoping to elicit some reaction from him other than amusement; her attempt was unsuccessful. Emma followed Elsa, closing the door behind her so they weren't under Hans' constant stare.

"I don't believe a word of what he says." The Queen said angrily.

"I'm not so sure." Emma admitted, "I've done my fair dose of interrogating but this was different. I couldn't get anything from this guy. It's like his emotions are..." She couldn't find the word, "frozen." She blurted out, not sure if that adjective was the proper way to describe it. "I'll have to keep an eye on him." That assurance calmed Elsa down, albeit a little. If she was still in Arendelle, she would've thrown him into the dungeons, regardless of injuries, but she was in Storybrooke and she wasn't about to force her friend into doing something without her feeling 100% certain about it.

Emma pulled her phone from her pocket to check the time, yawning when she read it was nearly 11pm.

"I've had enough for one day." She announced, "Come on." The two women walked calmly down the hall to the exit. The Sheriff quickly informed Whale about Hans. Once they had the assurance of 24/7 watch on the man, they continued to the bug. They sat silently as they drove to the apartment, Emma too focused on the road while Elsa was too focused on her suspicions regarding Hans. After a relatively short drive, they arrived at the apartment. A small smile played on Elsa's face at the sight of it. That little apartment was a home away from home. It was nothing like her palace but it was cozy and heartwarming nonetheless. She wondered if David and Mary Margaret were still awake; it would be good to see them again and little Neal too.

Emma hoped that her parents would still be awake so she could get the surprise of Elsa's reappearance over with and start with the mission of finding the memories. As it turns out, her parents were about to go to bed when the two women walked through the door. There was a moment of shock shared by David and Mary at the sight of the Queen but that eventually dissipated to a genuine happiness. Henry was already asleep so the surprise wasn't over yet. Once the meet-and-greet was done, Mary and Emma made a bed for Elsa on the couch. It was not the most comfortable place to sleep but the only other option was the floor. Besides, Elsa had slept on it the first time in Storybrooke so she was remotely used to it.

Soon the apartment was dark and quiet. Elsa lay awake for a while, finally having a moment to properly think. To say she was confused was an understatement. She never imagined that she would ever return to Storybrooke, certainly not under the conditions she was in now. The last thing she could clearly remember was standing in front og the closed doors of the throne room, lifting her hand to blast through it with her magic. After that there was just a blank space.

And Anna...

She had no idea where her sister was. The princess had been right beside the Queen in the last memory but then she was gone.

Elsa took several deep breaths to clam herself and prevent her powers from triggering a snowstorm inside. She had lost Anna again but this time, there was no necklace or staff or anything to help her besides someone who was currently lying in the hospital. Hans had something to do with it, she was certain of it. Hans was intelligent enough to know that he could never defeat the two of them if they were together. Elsa could only imagine the simplicity of it all: separate her and Anna and finish them off separately. She knew that Emma had said not to jump to conclusions but Elsa saw no fraction of a chance that Hans had nothing to do with everything. As a Queen, Elsa had to be rational and look at a situation from each viewpoint and every approach but with Hans, she couldn't. He tricked her kingdom, overthrew it, tried to kill Anna and Kristoff twice, tried to kill her and later trap her in an urn, and blackmailed her into giving the magical item to him. How was there a possibility that he was innocent?

* * *

><p><span><strong>Arendelle<strong>

There were exactly 204 chalk marks on the walls of his cells. Of those endless days, there was only one where someone had said something to him.

Hans hadn't bothered resisting as the Arendelle guards, ones that only a few hours ago had been loyal to him, dragged him to a solitary cell that was nearly long as he was tall and approximately 3 times his width. There was a tiny window near the ceiling that barely provided any light while the solid door had only a tiny window that was large enough to squeeze tiny portions of food through

The guards threw him in and slammed the door shut before the former king had even a chance to attempt an escape. He tried of course until Queen Elsa appeared in the little window.

"Enjoying your room?" She gloated to which Hans replied in a scoff,

"I've had worse."

"I find that hard to believe." The former King opened his mouth in mocked pain and placed his hand over his heart

"Oh, you hurt me with your cruel, cruel words." He mocked. The Queen was not amused, placing her hands firmly in her hips.

"I'm only cruel if I know kindness will not benefit the one I'm speaking to." She deadpanned, causing his demeanor to slouch for a moment.

"You really believe that kindness would not benefit me?" He asked, stepping closer to the window.

"Yes." She answered but her pause and the tone of her voice told him that she wasn't as sure as she wanted him to think she was.

"Try."

"What?"

"Try to show me kindness and see if I benefit from it." She stepped closer so that her face nearly covered the little window and that their noses were nearly touching

"Never. You don't deserve it from me, from Anna or anyone!" She stepped away from the door, their eye contact never wavering, "Enjoy your stay here. I can guarantee it will be long." She turned to leave but stopped once he spoke.

"How long?" Hans asked, his stomach falling because he knew it would be extensive.

"So long it takes for a reply to come from your brothers. I'm sure they'll be ecstatic to hear how low you've fallen. Maybe they'll finally give you a punishment worthy of your crimes."

Nobody had spoken to him since, his only company being his mind and his shadows. The latch of the door window remained closed all the time except when he was given food. He had tried a few times to strike up a conversation with the one delivering the food but Hans soon discovered that the man was deaf. He tried the guards too but they had been specially trained to ignore him. The pile of chalk he had found in the corner on his first day had been a treat. While they weren't the best form of entertainment it was good enough for him to alleviate it. Besides the tally, he attempted to draw pictures too. Granted, he wasn't the best artist but he needed something to keep him occupied from his impending doom.

He started with simple drawings like flowers, houses and other things but he soon attempted more complicated drawings.

He drew his sword, his horse Sitron, the book his mother had given him when he was a child and his two blood brothers, Frederick and Edvard. Then he attempted to draw his mother. He knew he could never draw her right for she had been perfect and perfection could never be achieved through chalk. He had to reach to the furthest depth of his memory to figure out how to draw her. It had been such a long time ago that he had last seen her. How long had it been now? 18 years? He honestly thought it had been longer; it certainly felt that way. He quickly realized that it had been 48 years since he had last seen her. He was frozen but life continued outside of Arendelle.

The clearest memories he had of her was the day she left but he refused to draw her with that image because she was always the most beautiful when she smiled. Seeing her smile in his mind made him smile and, with the perfect image finally found, he started drawing.

He spent 4 days drawing her, placing and drawing each line slowly with perfection and affection. While the finished result was not perfect in his mind, the drawing looked alive. IT was almost as if she was in the cell with him, keeping him company in his long, dark and lonely hours. He wondered what happened to her. Where was she? Was she even alive? He thought morbidly that her being alive was unlikely. If she was still alive, she'd be 80 or 81. With a sinking heart, he placed a tiny kiss on the picture and let it be.

With day 200 fast approaching, Hans found something new to draw. The process was even more difficult than the drawing of his mother. Not for the reason of the lack of good memories (he had an archive full of them) but rather the pain associated with them. When he decided to draw it, he cried silently for an hour. Once the crying stopped, he made an attempt to draw but the first line was barely on the wall when the tears flowed again, releasing years of concealed emotions. He forced himself to stop and began to draw, the lines put on the wall with more care than the picture of his mother. He finished the drawing in the early hours of day 204, putting the finishing detail on the drawing.

It was the face of a young girl, around 15 or 16 years old. To the unknowing eye, she would've seemed black and gritty but Hans could see so much color. The green of her eyes, the light pink flush on her cheeks, the red tint in her auburn hair and the crown of white that donned it. It was a special crown because it was made of the purest light. There were no gems or other fancy embellishment to suggest a high status but this crown trumped all others. It shone brighter than the stars and a full moon on a clear summer's night and was bolder than the Sun herself. It gave more power than Mother Nature possessed and the kingdom was larger than the universe. And she is the Queen of this mighty kingdom.

She _was_.

The light disappeared from her halo as Hans' head dropped in sadness, his hand placed right beside her face. He sat there, the only thing moving being his chest as he breathed.

"I'm so sorry, _lille solskin._" He looked at the picture once more, brushing his fingers lightly over her soft pink cheek while his tears fought to climb over the dam of his pride. The dam cracked quickly and soon the tears began spilling down his cheek once more, tears that he had hidden for nine years. Well, 39 if one were to count the years he was frozen.

An hour had passed and he hadn't moved from the spot, his tears a thin dry layer on his cheeks. So frozen he was that he barely comprehended the clunk of the lock. He cringed at the sudden brightness as the door flung open and shivered when warm air came wafting through it.

Two guards came in and pulled him away from the drawing but he was unwilling to fight. He knew that fighting wouldn't do him any good. For years he fought for recognition from the people and his brothers but every time he made a step to go further, it always, always, ended in disaster. Why else would he have been stuck here? The seeds of doubt had been planted, growing against his own confidence, though he forcibly tried to remove them.

As they kept pulling and forcing his feet to move, Hans continued his hypnotic stare to the drawing, wanting to see it for as long as he could before she was torn from him again. As the last traces of white disappeared from his sight, the tears threatened to roll once more. Any would've thought of him as insane for crying over a chalk picture but for Hans, it felt as if his heart was being torn from his chest.

For him, it was like losing her again.

He was so wrapped up in his own pain that he didn't notice where the guards were taking him until they pushed him to the ground. The man just barely avoided falling to the floor completely, a rather difficult task with hands chained behind his back. Once he looked up, he stared straight into the cold eyes of the Queen.

She was sitting in her throne, her hair in a bun and embellished with her crown and wearing the same dress as on her coronation, making her look regal and powerful. The royal advisors stood next to the lifted platform while several members of council were scattered around the room, watching the Queen and the prisoner in anticipation.

"Hans Westerguard." Elsa's voice boomed, "Your crimes against Arendelle are worthy of death." The room fell silent, everyone anxious hear the Ice Queen sentence the man to death, "However, I have received several letters pleading for your life. In light of this, I'm sending you to work in the Arendelle mines."

"Your Majesty!" One of the advisors exclaimed, "Forgive my forwardness but I implore you to reconsider your choice." The man pointed accusingly towards the prisoner, "This man is a traitor and a murderer and yet you send him to the mines instead of giving him the punishment you swore to give!" The Queen held up a hand and the man fell silent.

"I understand your concern, Landvik, and you know I value your opinion but I strongly believe that this decision is better than the one I made before in the matter." The old man stood down but his expression said that he was not satisfied with the Queen's decision. Elsa watched him for a second before returning her gaze to Hans, "I can guarantee you that you will be supervised while you work so I suggest you do no funny business. One wrong move, Westerguard, and I'll throw you back into that cell personally. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, your Majesty." Hans answered, bowing his head to the floor just to avoid the countless glares.

"Good." The Queen said nonchalantly, waving to the guards to get the prisoner out of her sights.

As they pulled him away, it was safe to say that Hans was confused. Not only for the fact that Elsa spared his life but that someone actually wrote a letter asking her to spare him. He couldn't think of who though. If anybody had done it, it would've been his blood brothers but even they had abandoned him after his actions in Arendelle. Regardless, he hated whoever sent those letters. It'd be better for everyone if Elsa just killed him.

Elsa knew that her decision to spare Hans' life would have its repercussions. The small sect in her kingdom that feared her and her magic had been making public speeches in an attempt to pressure the Queen to change her mind. Luckily, their attempts had been mostly unsuccessful but Elsa still felt the pressure. The councilors weren't happy either with some having the audacity to say that she had feelings for the fallen prince and that those feelings were controlling her rationality and her decisions. She had talked the men down and threatened to banish them from court if they made more accusations against her.

But none were so angry as the Princess.

"I don't understand why you would spare him!" Anna whined after a bout of yelling with her sister. "You told me you would punish him!"

"I am punishing him!" Elsa retorted.

"You sent him to work in the mines. How is that punishment?" Wouldn't that just say to him that he can kill again and get away with it?" Anna tried to reason. Elsa leaned against the table.

"You forget that he never actually killed anyone. He just tried to kill."

"Same thing." Elsa rolled her eyes and snatched a letter from the table.

"Read this." She said sternly. Grumbling and giving her sister a glare, Anna read the letter. Elsa could see Anna's expression soften as she read but the instant she stopped, her face hardened.

"You except m to believe this?" She asked angrily, holding the letter out.

"It's from his mother." Elsa reasoned, snatching the letter back. "What kind of mother would lie about something like that?" Anna crossed her arms.

"One who's trying to save her son's life." She answered. Elsa scoffed and rolled her eyes. She turned her back to her sister, placing the letter back with the letter from two of Hans' brothers, the two he apparently had a good bond with. The Princess and the Queen stood silently, one upset and angry while the other tried to think of a means to pacify her sibling.

"Anna." Elsa spoke up, turning around and taking her sister's hand, "Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do, Elsa."

"Then trust me with this. I truly believe that this decision is a better choice than execution." Anna looked down at their clasped hands, it reminding her of their bond and the promises they made to each other. She sighed deeply.

"Alright." She said albeit reluctantly, "But don't think for a second that I'm ok with this."

"I wouldn't expect anything different." Elsa replied, trying to hide a smile of victory, "Please just try to understand what I'm doing here."

"Elsa," Anna started, her voice getting caught in her throat for a moment, "I know you're trying to do something good but Hans can't change. He's a monster and monsters never change." Anna could see something in Elsa's eyes that made her feel the slightest twinge of guilt.

"Have you forgotten what the Duke of Weselton called me? Have you forgotten what everyone called Ingrid?"

"Elsa…" Anna said but the Queen had left the room, leaving the Princess with her thoughts. No, she hadn't forgotten what the Duke had said and what everyone labeled Ingrid but Elsa and Ingrid were never monsters. They were merely misunderstood. Hans, however, was not. She understood him completely. He was an arrogant, selfish, power-hungry man who'd do anything to gain power, even something like murder.

The tension between the sisters could be felt by every soul in the palace and no one had to ask to know what the tension was about. It lasted the rest of the day and well into the evening until Kristoff convinced Anna to make up with her sister, pacifying her by reminding her that Hans would likely die in the mines; it was notorious for deaths. After Anna did make up, Elsa announced something else that made the Princess nearly jump through the roof in anger, shock and worry.

Elsa was going to the Southern Isles.

**Review, favorite, follow.**


	4. Author's Note

Hey guys. This is not a pleasant topic for me to be talking about. This is something I've kept secret for almost 10 years but I can't keep it in anymore because it affects my writing and all my other online activity.

For years now, I've had a breathing problem. I've never told anyone partly because I was scared, I thought nobody would care, and it never bothered me too much. But recently it's plummeted to the point that I have issues swallowing and I can barely breath through my nose. I'm out of breath constantly and I can barely write because of it. I'm going to a doctor to have it checked out, so fingers crossed it isn't something severe and that it can be fixed. Once I've been to the doctor, I'll tell you if it's bad or not.

I needed to get this off of my chest.


	5. Health Update

I just came back from my family doctor (know the guy for many things; punctuality is not one of them). He couldn't find anything blocking my throat and my airways seem to be clear but I need to get a few x-rays and some tests done so I'm not out of the dark yet. I'll try to continue with writing but updates will be excessively slow.


	6. Chapter 4

**Before the chapter begins, I just want to say thank you to Sailor Swifty. Your reviews mean the world to me and they are one of the few things that keep me motivated for this story. So thank you from the bottom of my heart.**

**I'll be honest when I say that I was underwhelmed by the season premiere of the second half of season 4. I loved the fact that Chernabog was there and that Cruella's number plate said "Devil" but other than that I wasn't impressed.**

**Onto the chapter. Enjoy**

**Chapter #4**

"Elsa?" The Queen was roused from an uneasy sleep by a gentle hand on her shoulder. the woman groggily looked up to the face of Henry, who looked surprised to see her though he tried to hide it behind a smile. "Breakfast's ready."

"Thank you." The woman mumbled in reply. As the boy walked away to join his family, Elsa sat up and looked around with a sigh, getting the painful reminder that she was in Storybrooke with no memory and without her sister. She pushed the blanket off of her but sat frozen.

"You ok?" Mary-Margaret called.

"Yes." Elsa replied with a weak and forced smile. She rose from her bed and joined at the breakfast table. "I'm fine." She absentmindedly grabbed some food, eating it regardless of whether or not she liked it.

"Right, so here's the plan." Emma spoke out after swallowing a chunk of toast. "I'll give you a change of clothes and then we'll get started on restoring your memory." The Queen looked down at her clothes as the woman spoke, for the first time noticing the splotches of blood that decorated her dress.

"I can make my own clothing." Elsa replied, trying to say it without sounding insulting, "But thank you." Emma smiled before continuing with her food.

"You make your own clothing?" Henry asked.

"Sometimes." She answered. She wasn't in the mood for small talk; she wanted to find Anna and her memories and return to Arendelle before Weselton took advantage of her absence. She pushed her plate away and stood up, heading to the bathroom to change her dress. She could do it right there in the room but she needed a moment alone. Once inside, she locked the door and simply stared at her reflection, for the first time seeing Emma's words towards her jump in age. Emma was right; she did look 20 years older.

Elsa wasn't sure how long she had been staring at her reflection but after noticing the blood on her dress once more, she snapped out of her stare. She quickly lifted both her hands, using the same gesture she used the first time she made an ice dress, but nothing happened.

"What?" She repeated the gesture but still nothing happened. "Emma." Elsa said in shock. "Emma!" She cried, fumbling to unlock the door.

"Elsa, what is it?" Emma called through the door, yanking at the doorknob. Elsa eventually got the door unlocked and threw it open.

"My magic is gone!" She exclaimed.

"What? How is that possible?" Emma demanded, looking at Elsa's hands. The Ice Queen looked at her own hands in despair.

"I don't know." She said sombrely. If Elsa had been upset before, she was utterly devastated now. Her magic was gone, the thing that defined her as a person was gone. At a time in her life, she may have been ecstatic to know it was gone but having finally accepted it as a part of her, she felt incomplete. When she sat down to calm herself, Mary-Margaret kept trying to bolster her hope that maybe it was blocked by some spell rather than gone but the unnerving feeling in the pit of her stomach was convincing Elsa it was gone. Permanently.

Finding herself without a means to make clothing, Elsa had to take Emma's offer of borrowing. Fortunately, the two women were very similar in size so it fitting was never an issue. The only issue arose from trying to put on a bra. Elsa had never worn one, let alone seen one, so she spent several minutes trying to put it on correctly and fasten it. Once on, she found it to be a lot more comfortable than a corset; she could breath and move a lot better now but she wasn't stuck in those thoughts for long because she noticed something different about her body. Her breasts felt and looked bigger than before and there were many scar-like marks littered all over her belly.

"What happened to me?" She mumbled to herself, brushing her fingers over the marks. She snatched the long-sleeved black shirt with v-neck and quickly put it on to hide the strange marks. Seeing them made her even more desperate to find her memories but desperation would only deter her focus.

She then pulled on the skinny jeans, the process long and awkward as her foot kept getting stuck. They weren't uncomfortable but, being used to dresses and stockings, it felt more than awkward for the Ice Queen to wear something that was tight and showed off the very shape of her legs. She would never have worn something like this in Arendelle.

After putting her hair back in a neat braid, she came out of the bathroom and presented herself to the Charmings.

"You know, modern clothing really suit you." Mary-Margaret commented, still making minor attempts to cheer Elsa up.

"Thanks?" She said, looking herself up and down, not sure if it was a compliment or not.

"You ready?" Emma asked, carrying a white pea coat with black buttons. Elsa nodded.

"I guess."

"Here," The blonde said, handing the Queen the coat, "It's a little cold outside." Elsa took the coat with an appreciative nod and put it on, not bothering to close the buttons. After Emma gave Elsa some shoes, the two women were on their way to Gold's shop, figuring that if they were going to find even a clue on how to find memories or what happened, it was best to start there.

"Where's Mr. Gold?" Elsa asked after Emma had opened the door of the closed shop with an extra key she owned. The shop was empty and the blind were closed, making it look even eerie and foreboding. Emma switched on the light and began searching the nearest counter for something that could look helpful.

"Belle pushed him over the town line." Emma explained, grabbing a few scrolls and briefly scanning over them before putting them back in the counter, "He was trying to separate himself from his dagger but we found out just in time to stop him. At the same time, Belle discovered that he had been lying to her the whole time." She turned away from the counter, going through the cupboards to see if there was a memory potion of some sort.

Elsa started searching too, going to the bookcase and scanning over the near illegible spines that held the titles. There was one book in particular that caught her eye because it didn't belong with the others. While the other books were spell books, this one was a storybook. Curious, she grabbed it. It was quite heavy, the binding green and decorated by gold leaf and illuminated manuscript. There was no title on the cover, so she opened it. Still no title but what she found was both sweet and heartbreaking. It was a short message from a mother to her children, very simple but loving none the less.

_Stories are magic, my children. Read them and I'll always be with you. Love, your mother._

From the tone, Elsa figured that the mother must've been on her death bed when she gave the book to her children. It made her sad to think about it as the children must've been very young, 10 or maybe even younger. In a way, Elsa felt lucky that her mother had died when she was older, even though their relationship was rocky. If she had lost her mother when she was younger, she probably would've been off even worse on her coronation.

She put the book back as it had no value to the task and continued searching among the others. She scoured through the history books but they were of no use as all that had been recorded had been written prior to the curse that created Storybrooke and her entrapment in the urn. The spell books were worthless too because there were no spells to restore memories or to explain her age jump. She did read about some kind of legend where a sorcerer had made time go faster in a realm but it was only a legend; such a feat could not be achieved in reality. The conjurer would have to be more powerful than any magical being in existence. Stronger than the Evil Queen, Rumpelstiltskin, and the Sorcerer combined.

After searching for an hour, she slammed the last spell book back onto the shelf and grunted loudly in frustration,

"Nothing! Absolutely nothing!" She growled, expecting flurries to start swirling around her. Emma stopped her search through the potion cupboard and went to her friend, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"We'll find your memories. Okay?" She asked with a forceful yet hopeful undertone; they had barely begun their search and would get nowhere if Elsa was already getting frustrated. The Queen nodded and took a deep breath.

"I just need a moment to think." She whispered. Her friend nodded, offering a smile, and returned to the cupboards.

Elsa stood by the books a while longer before she headed straight for the door, the bell jingling loudly as she returned to the chilly spring weather.

Digging her hands into the pockets of her coat, she walked down the street, staring at the ground and letting her feet guide her. As far as she was concerned, she had no destination. Her aimless walk led her to a park with a quaint little stream and benches lined along it to enjoy the serenity. She dropped herself down on a bench with a sigh, thinking that her day honestly couldn't get any worse.

She had no magic, no memories, Anna was gone and she had an unexplainable age jump. Couldn't get worse than that right?

To her annoyance, it did when a certain auburn-haired man came to sit beside her.

* * *

><p><strong>Southern Isles<strong>

The Southern Isles was quite a sight to behold for Elsa because it was the first time she had traveled outside her own kingdom. Her ship had first passed by the isles that had given the country its name; some had jutted cliffs or high rolling hills but many were flat and a lush green or a beautiful gold, speckled with towns. The Ice Queen examined each briefly to distract herself from the unsteady floor of the ship and how it was making her feel nauseous.

After the isles came the mainland and the port city of Randers. As the flagship docked, a crowd of the Isles' people gathered on the harbour as they had never expected the Arendellian Queen to come to their country, especially with the tension that had been created due to Hans. The citizens gawked when the Queen exited the ship and headed for the carriage that would bring her to the capital, where the king currently resided.

It was a two hour journey to the capital and Elsa kept herself busy by repeating all the information she had found about the Westerguards. The history of the family she went over only briefly, more interested in names and relationships. It was safe to say that it was complex and no short amount of confusing.

She had started her research with Hans' father: Nikolaus Westerguard. The most surprising revelation that Elsa had come upon about the man was that Nikolaus had been married more than once, no less than four times. In the stories from Anna, it sounded as though Hans and his brothers all had the same mother.

His first wife, Viktoria Nordskov, had given him his first six sons: Klaus, Niels, Rolf, Sigmund, Torvald and Torsten. The documents described Viktoria as being the woman of Nikolaus' dreams and they had a strong, healthy relationship. Unfortunately, it didn't last long as Viktoria passed on only a day after the birth of her last two sons. Nikolaus want into a depression after the death of his wife; he neglected his duties and ignored his children in order to mope. His council did not take kindly to his actions and devised a plan to get the king out of his mood. Within a few months of Viktoria's death, Nikolaus was introduced to Elizabeth Bradford, a princess from the Northern Isles. Nikolaus fell quickly for Elizabeth, who was so much like Viktoria in personality. Little less than a year after the death of his beloved first wife, Nikolaus married Elizabeth. The four youngest princes immediately accepted Elizabeth as their mother but the eldest two were not as eager. They eventually accepted her as she gave them the motherly affection they had missed so much.

4 more princes were born during the nine year marriage between Nikolaus and Elizabeth. They were named Viktor, Björn, Jurgen and Franz. With each delivery, Nikolaus feared that Elizabeth would succumb to childbed fever just like Viktoria had but the Queen herself to be a strong woman and went through each delivery without difficulty. With new optimism, Nikolaus pictured himself growing old with his wife and watching their children grow and have families of their own. In fact, Nikolaus was certain that there would be a grandchild within a year or two as Klaus had gotten married shortly after the birth of Franz.

But life always takes unexpected turns.

Ten months after the birth of the youngest Prince and only weeks away from Niels' wedding to his first wife, Elizabeth fell seriously ill. She had contracted scarlet fever, which was so severe that she died within the week.

The depression Nikolaus suffered was worse than the one he had before. His personality changed drastically and he swore he would never love another. The King was serious on this claim but several councilors thought he was exaggerating and went out to search for another wife, finding a candidate in an unusual spot.

The Southern Isles has always had a strenuous relationship with Mensonge but the Mensong King had been wanting to clear the tensions and prevent a war for years. As he had no daughters, he had offered his cousin for marriage to several of Nikolaus' sons but nothing was every officiated. It was almost too good to be true for the councilors. Not only had they the opportunity to stop centuries old tensions between the kingdoms but they could give the mourning King a new wife who was fertile and said to be very pretty.

Nikolaus agreed to the proposal and the King's cousin, a woman named Catherine Desrosiers, came to the Southern Isles. It was obvious that the King and the 10 princes did not like Catherine but Nikolaus married her regardless, even if it was only so his children could have a mother, his country a Queen, and to gain all the political and economical benefits.

Elsa found something odd in the research of Catherine's children. She had four by Nikolaus, Hans being the third of the four. What was odd was that the fourth child's name had been removed from every document Elsa had found. Names, pictures, anything associated with this mystery child was removed, either through cutting out or burning a specific piece of information. The removal was so well done that Elsa hadn't a clue whether the child was a boy or a girl.

After having the names down, Elsa searched for any clue she could find about the missing child. She found nothing until a certain document popped up during her research. The old man in charge of the documents told her that nearly all copies had been destroyed and the one she had could very well have been the last one in existence. The document contained detailed information about Hans growing up; everything from height to personality to everyday activity. Unfortunately the name of the mystery child had been removed but it regardless gave valuable information. Hans and his sibling had been undeniably close, the two being compared to day and night, body and soul, wisdom and experience. They were always together, no matter what. For example, when Hans was 6, he got a heavy fever and his sibling stayed with him in order to read stories to him, despite the fact that they were told to stay away from Hans lest they got sick.

The book described Hans as being kindhearted and utterly loyal to his sibling; he would do anything to ensure that they were happy and felt safe. Having seen Hans only as a monster during her coronation and the coup d'état, it was odd for Elsa to picture him as he had been as a child.

Continuing through the document, Elsa found that Hans had gone through two personality changes in his life. First one was when he was around seven years old. At this time, his father suddenly announced he was divorcing Catherine in order to marry his mistress, a noblewoman from the Low Lands: Mathilde Van Middelburg. The divorce was quite a blow for Hans because his mother was the one that prevented his elder half brothers from abusing him and because his mother was the only parent that gave him love and affection

This change wasn't as dramatic as the other; this change merely made him less trustful towards his half brothers and his new stepmother and even more protective of the mystery sibling.

The other change was much more profound. It occurred when Hans was 16. Elsa knew that this change had to do with his sibling because they coincidently disappeared from the document without a clue as to what happened to them.

Regardless of what happened, Hans would never be the same person again. In a matter of weeks, he went from a kindhearted and sweet child to a quiet teen who shut out the only family he had left. The animosity of his half brothers changed Hans even more. The relentless teasing made him violent and lowered his self-esteem drastically.

When she finished, Elsa actually felt pity for Hans. The whole time she assumed he wanted Arendelle simply for the sake of a crown and, in his other attempts, revenge but now, it seemed the first attempt was more for the reason of leaving the Southern Isles and aal the pain so was certain he must've felt.

The two hours flew by faster than Elsa had anticipated; then again she had a lot of information to cover. The carriage drove past the decorated gates into the courtyard, coming to a stop in front of a large stairway into the magnificent palace. Besides the soldiers, burly men dressed in uniforms of bold red, there was only an old man richly dressed in robes that suggested he was part of the church. Said man approached Elsa as she was helped out of her carriage.

"Your Majesty." The man said stoically, "His Majesty is expecting you in the gardens."

"Thank you." Elsa replied, standing up straight to portray an image of a confident ruler. The man bowed.

"This way, Your Majesty." He said politely and walked into the castle with Elsa following him. As they walked, Elsa resisted the urge to look around the grand halls of the palace. It was very different from her home in Arendelle. The walls were white washed and embellished with beautiful patterns of gold. Along with the marble statues, there were countless of paintings that decorated the walls. She briefly stopped by a family portrait of Hans and his brothers along with his father and stepmother. She stared at it, especially at the face of Hans, figuring he must've been around 17 or 18 at the time because the 14th child was absent and there was something sad about Hans' expression.

"How old was Hans in this painting?" She asked the priest, who had joined her after he realized she wasn't following him anymore. The man studied the picture for a minute.

"I'd wager he's 17 in this portrait, madam."

"And who are those two that are standing behind him? The black-haired man and the brunette?" The man looked at the two she was referring to and answered,

"Those are the 11th and 12th Prince: Edvard and Fredrick."

"I see." Elsa replied. She knew who they were: the over-protective Edvard and the wild, unstoppable Frederick, but she had asked anyway because she needed a good opening line to the question that truly fascinated her. "Is there a member missing from this? Another sibling, perhaps?" She could see the man flinch, though he attempted to cover it with a odd mix of clearing his throat and coughing.

"His Majesty is waiting for you." He casually reminded her, motioning down the hall. Elsa was a little surprised by the sudden change of subject and she would've pushed for an answer but figured that she wouldn't get anything out of the man. Glancing at Hans' painted face, she replied,

"Of course." She kept an eye on the painting until it was completely out of sight. She didn't know why she did; maybe it was because he didn't have his signature sideburns in that painting and he looked funny without them...

Elsa silently followed the priest out into the gardens, the trees decorated with gold, red and brown leaves. He led her down a solitary path with high hedge walls which led to another section of the garden with a gazebo adjacent to a quaint little stream. The wall of hedges continued all around, giving the area a sense of seclusion and privacy. Besides the hedges, there was no other form of plant life except for an old willow that stood next to the stream. It was old and not much to look at with a large cluster of branches that were snapped in half.

Elsa didn't look at it for long as she was lead into the gazebo where a 61 year old man was sitting at a table. When the Queen entered, he smiled and stood up, offering her a bow.

"Queen Elsa, welcome to the Southern Isles." He said charmingly, it reminding Elsa of Hans' demeanour at her coronation. She smiled and curtsied in return.

"Thank you, King Mathias." She replied. The man smiled and motioned to the chair opposite of where he had been sitting. Elsa went to the chair, muttering a thank you when the king moved it so she could sit. The King returned to his own seat, motioning to his servant to pour them a cup of tea.

"I trust your journey was pleasant." Mathias said, waving the servant away once the tea was poured.

"The seas around the isles wasn't quite as smooth compared to the open sea," Elsa answered, putting some sugar in her cup and stirring the drink quietly, "But it wasn't as bad as I though traveling by sea would be." The man chuckled.

"I'm not much of a sea farer myself; my brother was." Elsa let out a chuckle herself and took a sip of her tea. They had a casual conversation at first with Mathias asking Elsa about Anna and Arendelle while avoiding talking about his family or country. Very soon though, the topic came to Elsa being in the Southern Isles. "I was quite surprised to receive your letter." He explained, leaning back casually in his chair. Elsa sighed, putting her tea cup back on the table.

"I'm quite surprised myself that I am here." She admitted, "But there are some things I needed to clarify."

"I see." The King said, biting his lip a tad, "Would some of those things happen to be concerned with my uncle?"

"Yes." Elsa answered stoically. "My advisors told me that I needed permission from the King for an audience with Lady Catherine and I'm here to ask for it." There was silence until Mathias, to Elsa's surprise, began to chuckle.

"Your advisors were misinformed, Queen Elsa." His chuckling ceased but a smile was present, "Yes, there was a time where one needed permission to see her but I no longer saw the need to keep the world from a woman who had done no wrong."

"Thank you." Elsa stumbled out; she hadn't expected it to be that easy, even going as far as creating a list with all her reasons for why she needed to see Lady Catherine.

"You're very welcome, your Highness." He replied politely with a light bow of his head. "Was there any other business to attend to while you are here?"

"Yes. I also need to speak with Hans' brothers."

"Then you'd be pleased to know that one of them is residing in the palace at this very moment." He stood up and waited for Elsa to follow suit before he walked towards the palace, his guards close by for his protection. They walked silently through the gilded halls with Elsa trying to avoid looking at it everything in awe but finding it challenging because of the extravagance. She spotted the King glancing at her and she ceased her already restrained glances, making the man chuckle lightly.

It felt like they had walked a mile of hallway when they stopped in front of a door. Mathias knocked and waited until they heard a "come in."

They entered what was obliviously a sitting room. Bookshelves stuffed to the brink with books decorated one side of the wall, a door that lead to the bedroom in the corner. Near the window stood a table with a chess board, another table with various alcoholic drinks in crystal decanters nearby. By the fireplace, located opposite of the bookshelf wall, were several comfortable chairs standing upon an extravagant carpet and facing the fireplace. Two of the chairs were occupied by two men, on in his late 50's and the other in his mid-20's.

As the Ice Queen entered, a golden retriever ran up to her, barking happily and jumping madly around her.

"Ib, calm down!" The younger male called as the dog continued to sniff the Queen. "Come here!" Hearing the command, the dog ran back to his master, barking happily and nearly jumping onto him. Elsa chuckled at the sight of the dog jumping around madly but was distracted when the other man, who she recognized to be Edvard, stood, groaning in pain as he did. He moved towards the visitors, leaning heavily on a cane, muttering 'blasted dog' before he bowed slowly to Mathias.

"Your Majesty."

"Uncle." The King replied, "May I introduce Queen Elsa of Arendelle?" He said, motioning to the woman. Elsa offered the man a smile but he didn't return it, his expression one of shock; just like Mathias, he probably wasn't expecting her to be in their country. His expression changed quickly while he bowed to her.

"Your Majesty." He stood up straight, still leaning on the cane, " May I ask what brings you to the Southern Isles?"

"Many reasons." Elsa answered, "Among them, you."

"Hm..." The man hummed, "Hans?" He asked to which Elsa nodded in reply. Edvard sighed and turned to his nephew. "I'd rather speak of this alone with Her Majesty." The King seemed disappointed but nodded and promptly left the room, "You too, Harald." Edvard continued, glancing at the man as he played with Ib, "And take that blasted thing with you." He added sourly. Harald scoffed, rolled his eyes and exited the room, whistling when the dog didn't come. After the door, the two adults stood silently.

"What is it that you want to know about my brother?" The man suddenly asked, moving to sit down and groaning in pain when he did. Elsa sat down near him.

"After I received you letter and decided to come here, I did some research of your family and Hans' childhood. I found something rather..." She paused, "Interesting. A 14th child." If Edvard could get any paler, he did. He stared at Elsa intensely, sadness mixed in his expression. The room was eerily silent.

"I don't suppose you've ever heard of the Lost Jewel of the Southern Isles?" He asked. Elsa frowned at his question.

"I can't say I have but I'm not here to talk about some gem."

"I'm not talking about a gem." He mumbled. "Come with me." He stood up and walked into the hallway without waiting for the Queen. They walked to a section of the palace that had been abandoned. The decorations in the hall were covered by gray blankets and all the draped were closed, allowing only a little bit of light through. Edvard stopped at a random door and had his hand on the handle, hesitating to push it down. With a sigh, he lowered the handle and entered the room, coughing at the dust.

Elsa coughed herself as she glanced around the room. The windows were broken, the drapes torn off and ripped on the floor. A nearly empty bookcase was nearby, majority of the books scattered on the floor or in a messy heap by the fireplace where the Ice Queen spotted remnants of burned pages in the ash laden fireplace. A large grandfather clock was face down on the floor, shards of glass surrounding it.

"What happened here?" Elsa asked in shock, picking up a large, green storybook before heading to the bed with the shredded pillows and the messy sheets. She heard Edvard move and watched him head to a vanity table on the other side of the bed room, near the other canopy bed. The man swiped his hand over the mirror, removing a thick layer of dust.

"Hans." He answered sombrely, slowly lifting the lid of an ivory music box, the hopeful tune filling the lonely room. "There was a 14th child." He began, looking at the box. "My sister and Hans' twin." A tear fell from is eye as he waited for a response from the Queen.

Elsa was silent from the revelation; she had expected the child to be a boy, considering the frequency of boys in the Westerguard family. After the initial shock, she found her words,

"What happened to her?" The man was silent again but Elsa caught the sound of quiet sobs on occasion. Edvard slammed the music box shut.

"She's dead." He announced bitterly. "She died 39 years ago." He took a shuddering breath, "She was kidnapped from this very room in the middle of the night and they killed her." Music box in hand, he slumped to the bed and sat down, tears falling onto the box. "The entire kingdom was heartbroken but the heart that never healed was Hans'. He felt responsible for her death - he had been in the room when she was kidnapped - and our half brothers blamed him too." He stood up, looking around the room before focusing on the floor. "A year after she died, Hans came here, to the room they had shared, and destroyed everything. He intended on killing himself afterwards." Edvard kicked something and Elsa stifled a gasp when she saw a knife. "Fredrick and I stopped him but no matter what we did, Hans wouldn't talk to us. He shut us out while our brothers destroyed him even further. They told him that, because of what happened to our sister, no would ever love him and that he would never amount to anything." Edvard sighed. "It eventually drove him to Arendelle." He looked away from the item in his hands to Elsa. "The man you saw at your coronation was the product of grief and years of animosity. Yes, he may have looked confident and happy but he had his walls up, hiding all the pain. And he wanted the crown to prove to our brothers that he could amount to something."

Elsa looked down at the book in her hands, opening it for no reason in particular. She found a short message, it reading: _Stories are magic, my children. Read them and I'll always be with you. Love, your mother. _She quickly closed it and placed it on a nearby surface.

"Do you think Hans could ever return to the person he was?" She asked, almost chuckling at the fact that several months ago, she never would've asked that question or even believe the words.

"The old Hans is still in him." Edvard answered, "I've always believed my little brother is still there but the task to bring him back would be tedious. He'd need to be convinced that our sister's death was not his fault, that his worth is determined by only him and years of emotional scars would need to be healed." The man sighed, "But the only person capable of doing that would by my sister."

"So I'd be a fool if I tried?" Elsa asked bluntly.

"I never said that but if you tried, your Highness, you'd have quite a task ahead of you; Hans is a stubborn mule." He walked towards the King, "And, if you're going to try, take this with you." He handed her the music box and then gave her the storybook she had just put down. "The music box was a gift from Hans to my sister and the book was the last thing our mother gave to them. They'd read it to each other all the time."

"Thank you." She muttered. "What was your sister's name? I think it'd help if I knew that." Edvard let out a tiny chuckle and he smiled for the first time.

"That's true. Her name was Henriette."


End file.
